


Wilder Mind

by ElfrootWarrior



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Contemporary AU, Everyone's alive, M/M, No Beta, Some Fluff, Takemura and Viktor are V's dads, also I suck at summaries so don't mind me, bless kerry, johnny and v enemies to friends I guess, johnny's an asshole at first, meet cute, ok I lied prob loads of fluff, samurai days, v's a college student, young Kerry in all his mullet glory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29787183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElfrootWarrior/pseuds/ElfrootWarrior
Summary: Contemporary AU: 2021, just minus the pandemic as I'm tired of it (like so many).If you think a meet-cute doesn't entail knocking down chairs and making a fool of yourself... then you're wrong. I hope. V, or Vaughn Morgan, is a college student who just started working as a waiter at Caliente. Kerry (and the rest of Samurai) is a regular. V is too busy staring at the beauty with the mullet to notice that he's about to run into something. V's very much convinced he's the embarrassment of the century (tm), especially after Kerry's friend makes fun of him.Kerry just sees an adorable goofball I guess?Note: Kerry's young (+mullet of glory), and Samurai's still together.
Relationships: Goro Takemura/Viktor Vector, Kerry Eurodyne/V, Misty Olszewski/Jackie Welles
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	1. Meet Disaster

**Author's Note:**

> I kept imagining V seeing Kerry for the first time, and just knock shit over because he can't believe how gorgeous Ker is. 
> 
> (I also imagine V having black hair and grey eyes.)

Vaughn sighed as he put on the yellow monstrosity that passed for Captain Caliente’s uniform. He hated the visor the most. One of his fathers - Vaughn was adopted - insisted on him getting a job while going to college. It would be good for the development of his person, or some such nonsense… not that Vaughn actually thought it was nonsense; he knew what wealth (and its accompanying laziness) could do to people, and if this made him less of an asshole, then yes please. Although he was regretting that sentiment right this moment. He had worked only a couple of days at Caliente, and he hated it with every fibre of his being. The customers were often rude, and left the bathroom in a surprisingly disgusting state (a drunk guy peed in the sink on Vaughn’s first day). 

Caliente was a small dump, and Vaughn didn’t really get why he had to play waiter if people could just go to the counter to order. But who was he to question the going of things? He grabbed a notepad and pencil, because _of course_ the franchise couldn’t bother with a handheld ordering device. He sighed once more as he made his way to the front. 

“Hey V,” Rachel sounded tired as she pointed at a group sitting by the window, “regular crowd is here.”

“Really? Cuz I haven’t seen them before.” He raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at the backs of said customers. All he could really take note of was the way they dressed. They looked like punks, and not the brat-kind. They were a tad too loud for V’s taste. 

“Yyyep. Have fun.” 

That didn’t bode too well. The group of regulars consisted of five people; three guys and two gals. Vaughn shuffled over to them, notepad and pencil at the ready. There was a faint smell of weed surrounding them. He stopped behind the two guys with the longest hair, the other was seated on the far right next to a girl with an afro, and he cleared his throat.

“May I take your order, please?” 

The group turned to look at their waiter, and Vaughn tried his best not to start gaping. Ok, maybe he had already started. Because holy fuck. The guy looking at him was the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes upon, which shouldn’t even be possible: the man was sporting a hairstyle that seemed to belong in that awful big-cat-obsessed reality crap show on Netflix. But it looked so fluffy and _soft_. And those eyes; lovely doe eyes. Freckles in abundance. Suddenly Vaughn’s throat felt dry, as if he had been left in the desert and was parched. 

The man next to Mr Gorgeous snorted. “See that, Kerry?”

Vaughn’s grip on the pencil rivalled that of a vice. He survived his awful family, so he could survive this asshole. He repeated, “May I take your order, please?”. His eyes were fixed on the notepad, so he wouldn’t make more of a fool of himself by staring at the pretty boy. 

“Double espresso, no sugar.” Of course his voice was a delicious rasp. “Oh, and a burger.” As if to emphasise that, yes, his friend was an asshole, the man added a ‘please’.

Mr Asshole, who looked like a poser in Vaughn’s opinion (who wore sunglasses _inside_ when it was dark out?), opened his mouth to say something else probably… until pretty-face (Kerry?) kicked his shin. “Just coffee.”

The other three followed suit, thank fuck. Vaughn turned around as quickly as he could, and tried to leg it out of there. Tried. He didn’t try hard enough. He had looked behind him for a last glance, and he ran into a chair (and subsequently a table). The chair crashed to the floor, causing everyone at Caliente to look at him. Face burning, legs and ego hurting, he pulled the chair up and all but ran behind the counter. The laughter of the sunglass-poser rang in his ears. It was followed by a hiss “shut up Johnny.”.

Rachel spared him a pitying glance. 

“Don’t start,” Vaughn deadpanned. 

She shrugged and smiled a little. She placed a tumbler on a tray. “Here’s the double espresso.”

“How did you know that? I haven’t even given you the order yet.”

Rachel shrugged. “He always orders that.” 

“Seriously?” Vaughn practically slapped the notepad down. “Couldn’t you have gone?”

“And missed all of _that_?” Whatever pity she had for him, it was being overshadowed by amusement.

“Can’t I fill the orders and you do the waiting?” 

“That’s not how it works, sweetie.” It seemed like she didn’t feel like facing anyone either.

He sighed and rubbed slow circles at his temples. He could already feel the makings of a headache. Vaugh also had the dreadful feeling that his cheeks were still red from that fiasco. He should look into finding a better job… which sounded like a joke. Would something in retail be even remotely better than the mind-numbing bowels of the fast food industry? If Vaughn was very lucky, maybe there would be an opening at something small like a bookshop or a bakery. Somewhere ridiculously beautiful punks with mullets wouldn’t visit. It had an idyllic feel to it: the soft _swish_ of pages turning as people perused books, or the permanent smell of freshly baked goods. Caliente was filled with the odd combination of coffee and fastfood. It might smell alright if one went in just for a quick bite, but to work here? It turned nauseating all too soon. 

While Vaughn had been caught up in his thoughts (and embarrassment), Rachel had been filling the order and had placed it on two trays. He grabbed one tray and made his way back… very slowly. This was more out of reluctance and apprehension rather than a fear of knocking over more shit. 

He stopped between pretty-boy (on his right) and the poser (to his left) again. Vaughn daydreamed of knocking coffee into a certain someone’s lap. They were seated in the middle, so this way he could distribute their order more easily… aka by dumping it right in one spot as he could barely recall who got what. 

“Hey, watch it,” the poser grumbled as he put a cup right next to a notebook. Vaughn shrugged and just continued. 

“Be back with the rest in a sec,” and he walked away only to return with the other tray. Pretty-boy was giving him an amused smile. Vaughn could barely look at it without feeling like the air had been knocked out of him (and he knew what it was like to be literally gut-punched, so that was saying something). 

He hated _this_. Had he been anywhere but here - naturally dressed in something way nicer - he’d have flirted… well… at least made an attempt, as he was a fucking disaster. Maybe he’d have tried that joke Jackie’s so fond of; the one about the rockerboy’s output. Although Vaughn didn’t quite get the joke himself, others seemed to find it funny. 

When he left this time, he might not have knocked something over, but the words following him made it terribly tempting to thrash the place.

“Not in the market for a twink, Kerry?”

“Shut it, Johnny.”


	2. Hit It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> V's basically a walking disaster (someone stop him).   
> Also... this is kinda cheesy. Gotta love fluff.
> 
> Thanks for the kudos and comments! <3

Vaughn ended up sulking through the majority of his weekend. His fathers, Viktor and Goro, kept asking him what was wrong. He’d shrug like a petulant child. As his fathers both lived in NC, there was no need really for Vaughn to move out while studying. It was a strange mixture of convenient, comforting, and frustrating as all hell. Goro was the sterned one of the two, but that didn’t hold him back from cooking a ridiculous amount in the hopes that a load of food would keep the stomach filled and the mind appeased. Viktor simply took advantage of his husband’s cooking spree this time. If Vaughn hadn’t known the story already, he’d have asked how the two had met as he poked at his sushi simply to see if there was hope after that disaster (believe it or not: it was in a fighting ring). Rachel said they were regulars, so pretty-face was bound to show up again sometime. The mere thought was horrifying.

Judy was of some comfort. Vaughn went over to her place - a small apartment she shared with her friend Evelyn - to marathon the Lord of the Rings. It was the kind of moping with hobbits as its cure (if only… it made him feel only _marginally_ better). Judy was sympathetic, as she had her awkward moments too if she wasn’t too busy speaking her mind, whereas Evelyn simply branded him as ‘adorable’ with a knowing smile. This was the ‘pathetic adorable’ as in: you’re absolutely fuckin’ hopeless V. 

He was currently sitting in an armchair, hugging a ghost plushie to his chest that Evelyn had made for Judy. The girls occupied the sofa. Evelyn wasn’t quite paying attention to the movies; she just kept them company while she was crocheting. She had a tablet on the armrest next to her so she could read the pattern. Judy was gorging herself on lemon cookies (thanks to Goro, who really went all out with the food supply). 

Vaughn’s eyes were fixed on the screen. He vaguely registered that the Battle of Helm's Deep was playing - definitely one of the more epic bits of the trilogy - but he wasn’t entirely following it. His embarrassment was slowly turning into dread. Late next week would be his next shift, and he’d rather not go. Vaughn was the type to lie awake at night over something shameful he did ages ago; he was fairly certain this would end up haunting him for the rest of his life. 

Judy peered at him. She swallowed before she spoke to him. “You’re making this bigger in your head than it probably is. Y’know that, right? People tend to forget that kind of shit faster than you assume.”

Evelyn snorted. “Sure, you forget the guy who practically rearranged the furniture.” She had a couple loops of yarn wrapped around her hook, doing something Vaughn couldn’t even begin to comprehend. 

“Ev, you’re not helping.”

She stopped crocheting for a moment to look up at her friends. She smiled a little. “It’ll be fine. That better?”

Judy pouted and glared at her.

Evelyn sighed before glancing at her tablet again. “Look, you can’t control what others think. But you can control how you act. Just don’t be fazed and it’s all good, ok? It’s not like they sent around a compromising vid of _you_.”

Ah, yes. Vaughn had the decency to feel ashamed of how he had been acting. Evelyn had an asshole boyfriend for a little while - Yorinobu - who ended up sending a sex tape of her around to his friends. Of course it spread even more widely. She took it like a champ though, went out as if nothing had happened. She couldn’t fight _against_ said asshole, as he was rich and she wasn’t. 

He quickly turned back to _The Two Towers_. “Why does Haldir have to die?” he complained instead. 

“What’s with you and dudes with long hair?” Judy grinned as she stuck another cookie in her mouth.

“It’s _Haldir_!”

*-*-*-*-*

Vaughn went to the centre of Night City after school on Tuesday. He wanted to scour Valentino’s, a bookshop ran by someone commonly known as Padre, for a new book or two as a small consolation. Not that he’d admit the latter to others. He also liked to think that book collecting and the actual reading of books were two separate hobbies, although that made him sound like a weird hoarder. 

He already had a copy of The Secret History in his hands as he shuffled along the shelves in the fantasy section of the shop. Vaughn’s eyes slid over the spines of the books, uncertain as to which one he should choose. He shuffled to the right, his head cocked to read the titles better. Vaughn bent over at an odd angle so he could peer at the lower shelves. As he kept moving along, somewhat resembling the hunchback of Notre Dame, he collided with something.

Or, more likely, someone. Aside from bumping into another person, Vaughn managed to stand on their left foot and when he straightened himself to apologise, knocked his head into their face. Some colourful words followed the collision, albeit not coming from Vaughn’s lips. 

He was mortified - it appeared bad luck seemed to favour him - as he saw that person grab their nose. 

“I’m so sorry. Are you ok?”

“Yeah, fuck me.” The other took his hand away and scrunched his nose a bit. “Don’t think it’s broken.”

Fifty Shades of Red would have been an appropriate title for the way Vaughn was feeling right now. Or: Please Let the Ground Open Up and Swallow Me Whole. Of all the people in Night City, he managed to bump into the one person that turned him into a fool. Vaughn really had a terminal case of bad luck now, didn’t he? 

“Hey, it’s _you_.” He grinned at Vaughn in a way that could only be described as predatorial. Wolfish. The ‘business in the front’ part of the man’s mullet was pulled back in a small bun, the rest still flowing freely past his shoulders. Surprisingly enough, he was much smaller than anticipated… although, admittedly, guessing someone’s height is not the easiest thing to do when you’ve only seen them seated.

Vaughn sighed and suddenly the sight of his sneakers was a lot more interesting. “Yeah… sorry.”

“Heh, it’s fine. Lookin’ for anything in particular?”

He shook his head. “Don’t know what to choose to be honest.”

The smaller man tapped with his finger on his chin, eyes moving along the shelves. “Just a sec, I know they got it here somewhere.” He pulled something from the shelf. “Name’s Kerry by the way,” he said as he handed Vaughn a book. “Try that.”

Vaughn swallowed as he peered curiously at the cover. The Kings of the Wyld. “Ok… thanks?”

“No problem.” Kerry shrugged. He had his hands on his narrow hips and kept looking expectantly at Vaughn. 

He had no clue as to why, which must have been obvious on his clueless face.

Kerry laughed warmly. “Your name?”

Oh… _oh_. “Eh… Vaughn. But,” he hesitated a little, “most call me V.” Only his close friends and fathers did actually. 

“Alright _V_.” He cocked his head. “Y’know, my face still hurts a bit.”

“Sor-”

“You can treat me to a coffee or somethin’,” Kerry interrupted. “To make up for it.”

Vaughn was dumbfounded. This was odd. “Yeah?” He cleared his throat. “Sure.”

Kerry simply grinned as Vaughn gestured for him to follow. V paid for his books, and took Kerry outside. He looked around as he tried to think of a decent place to go to. His mind came up blank as if it was short circuiting. Why was this so hard? 

“C’mon.” Callused fingers wrapped around V’s wrist to tug briefly. “This way.” Vaughn was on cloud nine as Kerry pulled him along. This was definitely weird. V couldn’t comprehend why Kerry wanted his company after having showcased himself to be an immense klutz. Oh well, it was probably the free coffee the smaller man was going to get out of this.

They rounded a few corners; a two minute walk tops really. V found himself standing in front of a coffee shop called Lizzie’s. Kerry let go of his wrist and disappeared inside. V followed suit. 

“So eh, what do you want?” 

“Mmm,” Kerry tapped his fingers against his leg and bounced slightly as if he were incapable of standing still. “Just a double espresso.”

Ah, just like at Caliente’s then. V looked at the glass case filled with pastries. “Would you like something to eat too? Is my treat after all.” 

Judging by the excitement crossing Kerry’s face, it must have been the right thing to offer. It was almost like a fever dream. If Vaughn didn’t know any better, he’d think he had dozed off during the Lord of the Rings marathon (and maybe have come to with doodles on his face made with eyeliner, courtesy of Judy).

“The chocolate cake with salted caramel.”

“Ok,” V moved closer to the counter. He peered at the nametag of the barista. Mateo. “Hi, can I have two double espressos, the chocolate cake with salted caramel, and eh…” he squinted at the pastry menu. “What’s Lizzie’s special?”

Mateo tapped at the register as he filled in the order. “Blueberry cheesecake.”  
“One of those then, please.”

“Hey, I’ll go grab us a seat.” Kerry offered. Vaughn nodded and paid for their order. He watched as Mateo brewed their coffee and put the pastries on plates before adding it to a tray. The man worked swiftly. Vaughn wondered if it was nicer to be here than at Caliente’s. At least Mateo didn’t have to dress in something bright yellow (honestly, a Caliente shirt even put a canary to shame). 

V grabbed the tray once Mateo was done. “Thanks,” he smiled kindly. He looked around and saw Kerry sitting by the window. The other waved at him. Ok… he got this. ‘Please don’t drop this,’ he thought to himself as he slowly walked towards their table. 

He placed the tray on it and dropped his bags onto the floor. He slid into his seat, glad he made it in one piece. Kerry grinned as he took one cup off the tray and placed it in front of Vaughn along with the cheesecake. 

“Looks good, thanks.” Kerry said as he took his own things.

V vaguely nodded. “Is the least I could do.” He replied shyly. 

“Here, try this.” Kerry cut off a piece of his cake with his fork and placed it on V’s plate. 

“Oh… ok.” He stabbed his fork into it and ate it while Kerry watched him with an indecipherable look. It sent tingles down his spine. The cake was lush; decadent in flavour and, judging by just one bite, heavy on the stomach. V hovered with his fork above his cheesecake. His cheeks felt exceptionally warm - no, he wasn’t _blushing_ \- as he cut off a bit of his own to give to Kerry. 

Vaughn heard laughter coming from the area around the counter. He turned and noticed Mateo watching them with a big smile. Eh… was it that obvious that V was in over his head? When he turned back, Kerry winked at him. V choked a little and started coughing. He tapped on his chest with his right hand in a futile attempt to relieve it. Yep, in over his head. 

“You should tell me what you think about it once you’ve finished.”

“Hm?” He blinked a few times.

“The book I chose for you.”

“Right. Sure.” Just as he was about to point out he didn’t know how to reach Kerry, aside from maybe running into him at Caliente, Kerry pushed his phone to V with its contacts open.   
“Can I have your number?”

V gaped like a fish. Maybe he really was fever dreaming… In what world does someone like Kerry ask for the number of Earth’s No.1 Klutz? Hesitantly, he picked up the phone and typed in his contact info. 

“Cool.”

Only much later, when V had been going back home did he think ‘what the fuck just happened’? He remained in a dazed state up until he got a text.

?: Heeey this is Kerry. :> Happy to report my face is fine. [selfie attached of Kerry winking]


End file.
